The Dragon Slayers
by Terry Gibbs
Summary: AU The BAU are called to Las Vegas by the U.S. Marshals Service when a fugitive is suspected of having molested and murdered several children in Las Vegas. KidficReid. Will feature both Gideon and Rossi, because I can't decide who I like better.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or any characters recognizable as CM characters. I do own my OC Mark Rossi

Prologue

Spencer Reid didn't know whether his eyes were open or closed, both were the same to him. He'd been in the closet so long, he'd lost count of the time. He knew hours had turned to days, but had the days turned to weeks yet? But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part for him was hearing the whimpers and cries of the others, just on the other side door. He wanted so badly to help them, just once. He wanted to make up for all the times he'd failed to help. All the times his father had told him that what happened was his fault, even if he had nothing to do with it. He heard a single pair of footsteps coming toward the room. A shiver went down his spine at the thought that it was again his turn. The knob squeaked as it turned and Spencer slid as far back as he could into the closet. He knew what was going to happen. It was the same every time. It didn't matter what he did. Spencer couldn't stop it. He gasped when he hit the back wall unexpectedly, as the door opened.

The monster knelt down in front of the door, smiling as if he wanted to eat the boy for dinner. The man reached out and beckoned Spencer to him, annoyed when the boy didn't move. "Spencer, do you want me to go get someone else? To make them suffer? You know it'll be worse for them." William Reid spat angrily.

"No." Spencer said, his voice so quiet it was almost a whisper.

"Then come out. You're my son. Daddy won't hurt you." William said gently.

But even as he came out of the closet, Spencer knew it was a lie.

000

Dr. Carolyn Rossi, M.D., sat in her Baltimore, Maryland office, lost in thought. Her last session of the day had been with a young girl whose father had been killed while fighting in Afghanistan. The girl's father had been a Navy Seal and that was part of the reason the session had stuck with Carolyn. Instead of keeping pictures on his desk, she had a mental list of all the significant moments in her life that she kept with her all the time. She thought about her only surviving son Mark, who'd once been a Navy Seal. Thankfully, Mark had survived every mission and Carolyn had thought her son would settle down and start a family after leaving the Navy. But it wasn't to be. Mark was in his mid-thirties, still single and currently a Deputy U.S. Marshal tasked with hunting down federal fugitives. Truthfully, the only black spot on her life had been the death of her youngest son, James. James had drowned in the family pool under Mark's watch when Mark was ten and James was six. Though Carolyn and David had never and would never blame Mark for James' death, Mark blamed himself. As a result, Mark had distanced himself from his parents. He still called on occasion, but that was rare. It went so far that instead of spending Thanksgiving and Christmas together as a family, Mark preferred to spend his time hunting fugitives, terrorist or insurgents. Carolyn had grudgingly come to terms with it, but it didn't mean that she didn't want her son back in life. Deciding she needed to call Mark, Carolyn pulled out her cellphone and punched 3 on speed dial.

000

The only part of his job as a Deputy U.S. Marshal that Mark Rossi didn't really care for were stakeouts. And it wasn't even that he didn't like stakeouts, he just had to be in the right mood. It just so happened that the particular fugitive Mark and his team had been chasing has escaped from prison _for the fifth time. _One time Mark could understand, twice ok maybe, but six? Really? Give it a rest and do your time already. His phone vibrated and he glanced at his partner. "Take your call; I'll watch the house."

Pulling the phone off his belt, Mark glanced at it and scowled. He recognized the number, but he couldn't remember exactly from where. "Who is this?" he asked, slightly irritated. Calls from unknown numbers and fruitless stakeouts tended to shorten anyone's fuse.

"_Well, it's nice to hear you voice too, Mark." _

Mark felt like a jerk. He hadn't talked to either of his parents in at least three months, maybe longer. He couldn't remember. But he'd never tell his mother that. "What do you need, Mom?"

"_Six months and that's all you have to say?" Carolyn asked in an exasperated tone. _

"If I had something to say, I'd called. Look, I'm busy, is there something you needed?"

Carolyn paused for so long before speaking that Mark thought she'd hung up on him. _"No, I didn't need anything, Mark. Goodbye." _

After he disconnected the call, Mark waited. His partner, Tim Freeman, knew him about as well anyone could. They'd worked together for five years. "You know…" Freeman started.

"Don't start, Tim. You know why it's the way it is."

"Well, yeah, but what's it been…twenty years?"

"Twenty-five." Mark said, staring intently at the house they were watching as their fugitive left through the front door. He couldn't have picked a better time, as far as Mark was concerned. "He's on the move. Let's go."

000

William hoped Spencer had learned his lesson. But with a mother like Diana, William knew Spencer would have to be managed with a firm hand. Besides that, Spencer was saving lives. He…

"U.S. MARSHALS! WILLIAM REID, FREEZE!"

_How the… _William started, before stopping himself from going down that road. He knew what had to do.

000

Mark watched the man in front of him. But he didn't see a man. He saw a monster. William Reid was monster who needed to die. Mark found himself going down a road that he should've avoided. _Please just draw on us so we can get this over with._

He watched as William Reid pulled a weapon from under his jacket and started to move away and turn around in one move. "GUN!" Mark yelled, drawing his weapon and seeking cover behind a car on the curb. Using the car for cover, Mark aimed his .40 caliber Glock 23 down the street and was shocked when he didn't see William. Then, as his body regained control and he came down from the combat induced adrenaline rush, Mark heard a sound he'd prayed to never hear again. A man choking on his own blood. He turned and saw his partner had been shot through the throat.

"No…no! Come on, Tim! Stay with me, brother!" Even as he pulled out his phone and dialed 911, he watched Tim's eyes lock onto his own. "That's right, man. Stay with me."

"_911, what is your emergency?" _

"Yes, an officer has been shot. I need you to rush a bus to the 1500 block of Keller Street."

Even as he heard the sirens, Mark could feel his partner slipping away. In that moment, he knew that he would kill William Reid. And he knew exactly how he was going to it.

000

Mark sat in back of an ambulance, staring at nothing. He kept seeing Tim, his throat blown out by the gunshot. They'd been partners and friends for five years. Tim had only been married three years, and he had an eighteen month old daughter.

"So, the shooter was William Reid? You're sure?" Mark's boss Chief Deputy Marshal John Gregory asked.

Mark glared at his boss. "Yes, I'm sure. And I think I know how we can find him."

"Yeah, how's that?" Gregory asked.

"Call in the BAU." Mark said.

"The BAU? Aren't they FBI, track serial killers?" The Chief sounded skeptical.

Mark sighed. "Just trust me."

"Ok. But if it doesn't work out…" Gregory said, clearly still skeptical.

"It will."

000


	2. Chapter 1

Chp. 1

The familiar reverberation of his cellphone vibrating on the nightstand woke David Rossi from a sound sleep. He automatically reached out and grabbed the device to silence it before it could wake his wife.

He answered without looking at the screen. "Let me guess. We have a case."

"_Yeah, get here as soon as you can, Dave. It's a bad one." _ SSA Jason Gideon answered, before hanging up abruptly. Dave was long use to his friend's quirks and had come to the conclusion that quirks were what made people interesting.

Dave glanced at his wife to see that she was awake and looking at the clock, which read 4:45am. "You have to go in." She said. It wasn't a question. Rossi detected no malice it his wife's tone, only concern. Despite the fact that he'd been doing this for nearly half their married life and it wasn't the most dangerous thing he'd done for the Bureau, Dave knew Carolyn still worried about him.

He was up and moving to the bathroom before he was even fully awake. "David?"

He turned back to his wife, knowing what she was going to say, but listening anyway. "Be safe."

Rossi went back to the bed and leaned over, meeting Carolyn and the two kissed gently. "I always am, cara. You know that."

"Never hurts to remind you." She said.

Dave smiled. "Go back to sleep."

000

"He on his way?" Max Ryan asked as Jason hung up.

"Yeah, Morgan and Prentiss should be here in about twenty minutes." Gideon said.

"Good," Ryan sighed and looked at the pictures on screen. Seven smiling little faces stared back at him. "What do we know so far?"

"Apparently, the unsub isn't an unsub." Hotch said as he joined the other two agents in conference room.

"Come again?" Ryan asked.

"We weren't called in by local LEO's. The U.S. Marshal's office in Las Vegas requested our assistance. The subject's name is William Reid."

"Do they know for sure if he kidnapped, molested and murdered, these kids?" Gideon gestured to the screen.

"Not for sure. Also, one of the Deputies requested our help specifically."

"Who?" Gideon and Ryan asked simultaneously.

"Mark Rossi." Hotch said.

Both men looked like they'd seen a ghost. Ryan was first to speak. "Rossi as in related to Dave Rossi?"

"Mark is Dave's oldest son." Aaron said.

"Do you know if he's been assigned as our liaison?" Gideon asked.

"Unlikely, but he will probably demand to be part of the case." Hotch answered.

"Demand?" Ryan asked as if he was tasting the word.

"Deputy Rossi and his partner, Tim Freeman, were staking out a location where William Reid was believed to be hiding. When they attempted to apprehend William, he opened fire and Deputy Freeman was shot. He died before help arrived.

"Two emotionally involved Rossi's, one of whom we know nothing about. Lovely." Ryan said.

"There's one more thing." Hotch said.

The other profiler's gave him a, 'what now' look. "Mark's a former Navy Seal. He served seven years in the navy after graduating from Georgetown University with a B.A. in Arabic."

000

Spencer lay on the filthy closet floor and tried to just…float away. He wondered if he shouldn't find some way to just end it all. Even at five year old, he was smart enough to know he couldn't keep going like this. It had to end at some point, somehow. If someone wouldn't save him and stop his father, Spencer knew he'd have to save himself. The question was how would he do that.


	3. Chp 2

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, follows, etc.! You guys make it worth it!

"_The true test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children." Dietrich Bonhoeffer _

Dragon Slayer's – Chp. 2

As the BAU's Gulf Stream G550 streaked across the sky toward Las Vegas, Dave, Max, Hotch and Gideon sat around the tables in the forward area of the cabin. "Any more information on Reid from the Marshals service?" Max asked.

"Deputy Rossi," Emily started, "Geez, that sounds weird."

Dave glanced up at her. "What's weird about it?"

"Nothing. You just never mentioned him."

Deciding to nip this in the bud before it went further, Gideon interjected, "What did Deputy Rossi have to say?"

"He's been placed on administrative leave pending a review of the shooting, but before going on leave he gave his superior's a list of Reid's last known address, plus a couple of girlfriend's."

"Ok, you and Morgan check those addresses. Max, I want you and Aaron go outside the box, consider alternative locations, or where Reid might go to lay low outside the city. My guess is he was going out to find his next victim and the deputies put an end to that. He's likely to be volatile and agitated by not getting what he wants."

"Meaning we'll probably see more brazen attacks. He'll most likely start to devolve. Catching him depends on how quickly that happens." Max added.

"True. I just hope it doesn't take another kid getting hurt to find this son of a bitch." Prentiss said.

000

Mark walked slowly through his apartment, flipping lights on as he went. He decided to shower again, even though he'd showered at the hospital and dressed in a clean pair of scrubs a nurse had given him. He wondered who would be the first to show up, his boss or his father. He wondered if his _other _boss, Karen Monroe, would call. She was the reason Mark and Tim had been staking out William Reid's house. Sure enough, after stripping off his clothes and starting into the bathroom, his cellphone vibrated. He debated going back for it, and finally decided he couldn't put off this call. He grabbed it, checked the number and flipped it open. "What the hell happened, Karen?"

"You're the man on the ground, Mark. You tell me."

"Tim's dead, Karen. I don't have time for your bureaucratic BS."

There was silence on the line, then Karen answered. "I'm sorry about Tim. I know you were close. Can you locate Reid?"

"I'm not sure…maybe."

"What do you mean, 'Maybe', Rossi? Your our best operative."

"I told Gregory to call in the BAU."

"What? Why would you do that?"

"Because seven kids are dead, Karen! And William Reid has a son that we can't locate. You should've just sent me in covertly. I could've dealt with the son of a bitch weeks ago."

"I don't tell you how to do your job, so do me a favor and don't tell me how to do mine. And I did send you in covertly."

"You know what I mean. What do you want me to do?"

"Stay one step ahead of the FBI and take care our problem before they get wind of it, if you can." Karen finished, disconnecting the call.

"Will do." Mark closed his phone and went to take a shower. It was the beginning of a long night. He couldn't have saved the seven victims William Reid had already claimed, but just maybe he could save William's son.

000

"Why do you think Rossi never mentioned having a son?" Emily asked as she and Derek drove to the first in a list of addresses for William Reid.

"Come on, Em we all have secrets. You know that. That man has more than most." Derek said as he made a left turn.

"I know, but you would think he'd mention having a kid. Like if he was proud of him, or if he was a disappointment, that type of thing."

"Maybe they had a falling out." Morgan said as they pulled up to the house.

"Ugh. This place screams, 'bad man in residence, run away.'" Emily said.

"Front or back?" Morgan asked.

Prentiss grinned. "Front."

Morgan rolled his eyes. "Figures. On three?"

"Always."

000

The door being kicked in downstairs jolted Spencer awake. Correction, the _front _door being kicked in woke him. Had the police found his father? Were they here to rescue him?

He sat up and tried to call out. "Hel…" _His throat was so dry._

_Please save me. _That was Spencer's last thought before he once again faded to unconsciousness, wondering if the sound he'd heard downstairs had only been a dream.

000

Working quickly, Emily and Morgan cleared the first floor and met in a downstairs hallway. Morgan simply nodded to the stairs, indicating to Emily that she should take the lead. Moving swiftly but silently the two agents made their way up the stairs and found a small bathroom and three bedrooms, including the master. Efficiently clearing the bathroom, master bed and bath, and one of the other bedrooms, the pair stopped at the door to the last bedroom, which was secured by a three locks.

Emily scowled. "I really hate locked doors. Cover me." Twirling her Glock and grabbing it by the barrel, she swiftly dispatched all three locks. Turning the knob, both agents were surprised to find it unlocked. Morgan moved into the room first and Emily followed, turning right. They both saw that this was a child's room, a little boy, judging by the toys on the floor and trains, planes and automobiles border running around the top of the room.

"Emily," When he had her attention, Morgan nodded to the closet. It was locked in the same fashion as the main door had been. Dealing with this lock in the same fashion as she had the previous ones, Emily opened the door while Morgan covered her. The horrid smell pushed Emily back and brought tears to Morgan's eyes as he covered his mouth. He saw the boy first and nodded to Emily. Covering her mouth, both in horror and to keep from gagging, she looked down saw a small child laying in filth. The boy couldn't have been more than four or five tops. But it wasn't the conditions she found him or his age that nearly caused Emily to break down. It was look of absolute terror in his eyes and the phrase he kept muttering, almost like a mantra. "Peas, no hurt."

Knowing that he might be terrified of men, Morgan had gone down to their SUV to get a blanket. Deciding that she should put the boy's fears at ease, Emily ignored the stench and sat down just outside the closet door. "It's ok, sweetheart. I won't hurt you. I'm a police lady." As proof, Emily pulled out her badge and held it up so he could see.

"Can you tell me your name, sweetie?"

A long silence passed. Emily waited. Morgan returned with some blankets and left them just inside the door, careful to stay out of the boy's line of sight.

Finally, he answered. "My name Spencer."

Emily smiled. "Spencer, I'm Emily. It's nice to meet you. You wanna come out, kiddo?" A head shake was his only response.

"No? Why not, honey?"

Spencer had been edging slowly closer to her as they talked and he moved back a little. "What is it, Honey?"

"Him hurt."

It dawned on Emily and she mentally cursed Hotch in three languages for sending a man with her. Granted, none of them had thought they would find Spencer or that he had been abused. But it should have.

"No, sweetheart. Morgan won't hurt you. I promise. In fact," she moved aside, but not out of his line of sight so he could see the blankets. "He brought those up so I can carry you out of here."

Spencer considered this. "Emily keep Spencer safe."

She nodded. "Yes, Emily keep Spencer safe." She affirmed, being careful to repeat what he'd said word for word.

Slowly, he crawled out of the closet and into her lap. After wrapping him in one of the blankets, Emily stood and carefully made her way down the stairs.

000

A/N: So, how'd I do?


	4. Chp 3

Chp. 3

After a quick shower, Mark dressed in jeans, a button down long sleeve denim shirt and well worn, but serviceable dark brown hiking boots. He looked like he would've been at home in the mountains of Colorado or a college campus back east. And if he was absolutely truthful, he was tired of Vegas. He'd been tired of it the moment Karen had called three months earlier and said that was where his team was being sent. Mark had hated the city even more when he discovered what William Reid was up to.

Deciding he needed a distraction, he knelt by his bed, reached underneath and grabbed a large black rectangular Storm case. Pulling it out, he placed it on the bed, flipped the two clasped and opened the case. Inside were his personal weapons, a Glock 17 9mm pistol, a .22 caliber Walther P22 pistol, Heckler and Koch 416 M4 rifle and a Benelli M4 Super 90 Tactical 12 gauge shotgun. His issued .40 caliber Glock 23 had been taken when he'd shot at William Reid. He grabbed the Glock 17 and slapped in one of the seventeen round magazines he'd stored with the pistol. Grabbing the rifle and a cleaning kit as well, Mark went to the leaving room and field stripped the weapon, losing himself in the repetition of his work.

Mark thought about Karen's order and decided the best way to stay ahead of the BAU was to have them request his help with the investigation. He figured it wouldn't be too hard to do. Mark, Tim and the third member of their team, William LaMontagne, Jr were currently tracking William Reid and had the most up to date information on him. Prior to joining the Marshals Service, Will served in U.S. Army with the 75th Ranger Regiment for ten years. The three U.S. Marshals were part of a unit within the U.S. Marshals Service Witness Security Program codenamed Dragon Slayer. Most of the time, witnesses who entered the program had been decent people before they entered and remained so within the program. But sometimes, unsavory individuals who entered the program attempted to either resume their criminal enterprises while under a protected alias, or sell the names of other witnesses to whoever wanted them dead. In either of these cases, the Dragon Slayers were called in and the offender was dealt with in a more permanent manner.

William Reid had been number one on the Dragon Slayer's hit list. Mark didn't understand how the federal prosecutor who'd offered to put William Reid and his family into the Witness Security Program had missed the signs that William beat his wife and sexually molested his five year old son. Maybe the prick hadn't cared, because William Reid's testimony was more valuable than the safety of two innocent people. Of course, when William went off the deep end and started killing kids, that couldn't be ignored. Mark wished they had just sent his unit in after Reid and left his wife and child alone, but…

A knock at the door brought Mark back to the present. He picked up the loaded 9mm pistol from the table and went to the front door. Rather than look through the peephole, he stood to one side of the door and waited. Several seconds passed before an authoritative but calm voice sounded through the door. "Agent Jason Gideon, FBI. Deputy may we come in?"

Mark stiffened. "We? Whose with you, Agent Gideon?"

"Your father. May we come in?"

Gideon got his answer when both FBI agents heard the deadbolt unlock and the door opened. Mark stepped back and allowed the two men to enter. "Can I get you anything to drink?" He offered.

Dave shook his head. "We're fine, Mark."

"You're here about William Reid, right?"

"Do you know of any locations Mr. Reid would've used if his home were compromised?" Jason asked.

"This is Vegas, one of the most transient cities in the continental U.S. You're the profilers. You tell me."

Dave glanced down at the partially disassembled rifle on the table. "HK 416. Excellent choice for close quarters. Glock pistol. I'm guessing a 17 in 9mm. One of the most common handguns in the most common caliber."

Mark glared at his father in response. "What's your point?"

Before Dave could answer, Jason spoke. "We know about your partner, Deputy. We know what William Reid did to his son."

Memories of his brother's death flashed before Mark's eyes unbidden. He hadn't been able to save James. But he knew by joining the hunt for William Reid he could save William's son, Spencer. "So what are you saying?"

"We can't stop you from going after Mr. Reid. But your expertise could be valuable to help us find him." Dave offered.

Mark didn't have to think about it. "Let me get my gear. I'll call the other member of team and have him meet him at the office."

"No need," Gideon said, "Deputy LaMontage is already there."

"All right. Give me five minutes."

000

Emily sat in the now uncomfortable chair and watched the boy she'd found in the closet sleep peacefully. At least, she hoped it was peaceful. The ambulance ride and beginning of his hospital stay had been terrifying for little Spencer, and Emily could tell he'd latched onto her for reassurance. She was taken with him as well, but she knew she couldn't let herself get attached. At the same time, this little boy had been through so much and he just needed someone who cared about him. She would give him that as long as she could. A moan from the bed brought her out of her thoughts.

Gently brushing his bangs out of his eyes, Emily spoke quietly to the frightened child. "Spencer? Hey, buddy, open those eyes for me, kiddo."

She smiled when his eyes opened and focused on her. "Hi, sweetie. Did you have a good nap?"

Instead of responding, he reached a hand out to her and took it automatically. Spencer's eyes darted around the room, suddenly frightened. Emily was quick to reassure him. "It's ok, honey. You're in a hospital. You're safe."

Still looking frightened, but focusing on her, Spencer asked. "Daddy come?"

Emily shook her head. "Daddy's not here, honey. You're safe."

"Emily keep Spencer safe?" He asked.

"That's right. I'll keep you safe." Emily said. The profiler knew she'd have to ask the boy about why he had been in the closet, but that could wait. Right now all that mattered was gaining Spencer's trust and protecting him. It concerned her that even though he looked to be four or five years old, Spencer spoke like a toddler. But, like the reason Spencer was in the closet, that question could be set aside for the moment.

"Emily sing?" Spencer asked.

Normally, the ever confident and self-assured FBI profiler would've felt self-conscious about singing to a child in public. But something about Spencer tugged at Emily's heart. She took Spencer's hand again and slowly began quietly singing the first song that came to mind.

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word…"

Consciously, a part of Emily knew this was a song a mother would sing to a child and that it might give Spencer the wrong idea. But a part of Emily knew she wanted to be Spencer's mother and she would do whatever she had to in order to make that happen.

000

A/N: Thanks for all the support so far. You guys make writing worth it!


	5. Chp 4

A/N: WARNING – SPOILERS FOR 2x12, "Profiler, Profiled"

Chp. 4

Max Ryan and Hotch had joined Morgan at William Reid's residence, collecting evidence and trying to find clues to Mr. Reid's current whereabouts. But the other agents could tell Morgan's mind was with Prentiss and her charge, young Spencer Reid. After an hour, Hotch told Morgan to go to the hospital to watch over Prentiss and Spencer, incase William tried to reacquire the boy there. The older man didn't miss the smile on Morgan's face as he left. You'd have to be blind, deaf and mute to miss the fact that Derek Morgan was attracted to Emily Prentiss.

It only took Morgan fifteen minutes to reach the hospital and during the drive he thought about the hell he and Emily had rescued little Spencer from. Derek Morgan loved a lot of things about his job, but conversely, he hated a lot of things about his job. One of the things he disliked most was people who abused children. Part of Morgan's feelings stemmed from the fact that he'd been abused as a teenager in the worst way possible. Part of it was that most of the people Morgan saw abuse children were the same people who were supposed to protect said children.

As he walked inside the building and headed for the elevators, Morgan thought about what he'd seen in Spencer's closet. The boy had more than likely been abused by his father, in the same way Morgan himself had been abused by his mentor Carl Bufford. Given Spencer's age, which Morgan guessed was around four or five years old, he was probably terrified of men. That had been one of the reasons he'd allowed Prentiss to take the lead when the two agents found the boy, and the fact that Emily was a natural with children. As he stepped off the elevator into the pediatric ward, Morgan promised himself that he would do whatever it took to show Spencer that not all men were like William Reid.

Pulling out his badge wallet, Morgan stepped up to the nurse's station and held up the wallet. The nurse seemed to sense his presence and looked up. "May I help you, agent?"

"Special Agent Derek Morgan, Ma'am. My colleague came in with a young boy a couple of hours ago. Could you give me his room number, please?"

"Sincerely." The nurse answered with a smile and turned to her computer. Spencer had been admitted as a John Doe, incase William Reid came back to the house and discovered his son was missing, and the agents there were unable to take him into custody. "He's in room 519. Did you find the person who hurt him? I've been on this ward fifteen years and he's the worst case I've ever seen." The women said sadly.

"Not yet ma'am, but we're close." Morgan said, "Thank you."

But the nurse wasn't done. She leaned forward and whispered. "When you find that SOB, you put them _under_ the jail."

Morgan actually smiled at that. "Might just work out that way, Ma'am. You have a nice evening."

"You too, Agent Morgan."

Morgan stopped just outside Spencer's room a moment later and smiled at what he heard.

"_Hush, little baby, don't say a word…"_

Morgan leaned against the wall and decided to wait for Emily to finish putting their charge to sleep.

000

"So, how'd you manage to get me reinstated, agent Gideon?" Mark asked from the backseat of the SUV he was riding in with Gideon and Dave.

"Your father was the one who pulled strings." Gideon said.

Mark scowled. "Why?"

"You're motivated." Dave said.

Mark's scowl deepened. "You _want _me to kill William Reid?"

"Apprehend if possible, terminate if necessary." Gideon clarified as the vehicle turned into the parking lot of the U.S. Marshals Field Office for Las Vegas.

"Why?" Mark asked again, when they'd parked and were walking into the building.

"Why do we want you to kill him?" Gideon asked. Instead of responding, Mark gave the FBI agent his best 'well, duh' expression.

"It would better for all concerned." Dave said.

"You mean it would be better for Spencer."

"And Emily." Gideon added under his breath. Before Mark could ask who Emily was, Mark's boss, John Gregory and fellow agent Will LaMontage, walked over. Mark quickly made the introductions and the group moved to the conference room, where Hotch had already set up. Hotch looked up when they entered and stepped over to Mark. "SSA Aaron Hotchner. I'm sorry for your loss, Deputy."

"Thank you, agent Hotchner."

"Hotch, please."

"Ok, Hotch, what do we know?"

000

Morgan's phone blipped, signaling a text. He pulled the device off his hip and looked at it in surprise. It read simply, _you can come in now. :P_ Grinning at his friend's sense of humor, Morgan holstered the phone and quietly pushed open the door to their charges' room.

Moving as quietly as possible, Morgan took one of the chairs under the TV that was mounted near the ceiling and surveyed the scene before him. Prentiss was sitting as close to the bed as possible, her chair positioned so that she could see the door and Spencer both easily. She was holding Spencer's hand as the boy slept. Emily caught him watching her and they both smiled sheepishly.

Morgan watched as Emily gently laid Spencer hand down, then quietly stood and moved to the chair next to him. The man could tell this case was affecting his fellow agent and friend more deeply than cases of this type normally did. _Cases of this type? Man, I've been doing this too long. _

"You ok?" Derek asked quietly. He knew she wasn't and that it was a stupid thing to say, but he had to start somewhere. He watched one of the strongest women he knew bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying and shake her head. A single tear rolled down Emily's cheek and she swallowed. Derek just waited. He knew she would talk. And she did.

"When we…when we brought him into the ER, the nurses cut off his pajamas and his body was covered in bruises, in various stages of healing. He was filthy. He was wearing a diaper and it looked like it hadn't been changed in a day. That bastard used his own son for his sadistic needs and just locked him in the closet." The last part of her statement was drowned out by a quiet sob. Derek reached out and took Emily's hand, squeezing it lightly.

"The nurses…" she stopped again and he waited. "started giving Spencer a sponge bath and he was so scared. I knelt next to his head and just did whatever I could to keep him calm. When one of them started to put a new diaper on him, he thought…he…" Her breath hitched and she couldn't finish. Morgan squeezed her hand again and put his other arm around her. After a few minutes had past and Prentiss calmed some, he spoke. "That little boy's safe, Emily. You did that. Focus on the good. You can't change what his bastard father did."

Before Emily could respond, a nurse entered carrying a try of supplies. Emily saw baby wipes, lotion, baby powder and a diaper. She looked at the bed and saw Spencer was awake. The nurse looked at the agents and smiled gently. "I need to..." she started, before Spencer spoke up. "Emwy." Spencer's little voice sounded plaintive and afraid.

_He knows, she thought. _"It's ok. You can leave that stuff. I'll do it."

The nurse look surprised. Clearly this wasn't what she expected from a federal agent. "If you're..." the nurse started.

"Emwy!" Spencer said, almost wailing now. Prentiss saw that Morgan had gone to the hallway and was grateful. Being exposed that way in front of a man would terrify Spencer.

"It's ok, honey." Emily said and he immediately quieted. The nurse got the message and put the supplies on the table before leaving herself.

Emily looked at Spencer and smiled. "Is it ok if I change you, kiddo?"

"Emwy no bad touch. No hurt." Spencer asked, sound skeptical.

It took every ounce of control Emily could muster not to weep once again for this child.

"No, baby. I won't hurt you."

Spencer pushed down the sheets and raised the hospital issued gown in response to her question. The gown fit him like a tent and it gave Emily an idea. She grabbed the gown and raised it up so it covered her face and asked in a voice that contained more happiness than she felt. "Where's Spencer?" Suddenly she dropped the lower half of the gown and smiled down at Spencer before gasping in mock surprise and saying in the same happy voice, "There he is!"

Despite everything that had happened to him, Spencer now understood that Emily represented everything that was missing in his life. Safety. Love. Comfort. And a whole host of other things he couldn't explain. He laughed and it was music to Emily's ears. "Again!" he said through laughter.

"Again?" Emily asked, laughing and feeling genuine happiness that her plan had worked.

"Peas?" Spencer asked, sounding more hopeful than Emily had ever heard from him.

"Ok, but then I need to change your diaper." Emily said.

"Otay, Emwy."

"Ok, honey."

They ended up playing peek-a-boo two more times before Spencer let Emily change him, but he was much calmer than she knew he would have been otherwise. She moved slowly and gently through the process, like any parent would when dealing with a child who'd suffered a severe trauma.

"Him come back?" Spencer asked as Emily finished.

"You mean Morgan?" Emily asked. Spencer shrugged, as he didn't know the man's name. "Do you want him to?"

Spencer looked shocked at being given a choice. He'd never been asked for his opinion anytime that he could remember. He looked at Emily. She'd been nothing but kind to him so far. She wouldn't let this new man hurt him. "Him your fwiend?"

Emily smiled again. "Yep. Morgan's my friend, and I bet he'll want to be yours too."

Spencer's head hung low at this. Emily looked concerned. "Spencer, what's up kiddo?"

"I don't got no fwiends." He said sadly.

Emily frowned and sniffled until he looked up at her. He scrunched up his forehead in confusion. "Emwy? What's wong?"

"Well, I…" she fake cried some, then continued. "I met this little boy named Spencer who was really sweet and I thought we were friends, but he told me he doesn't have any friends." She said, pulling a tissue out of her pocket and blowing her nose in an exaggerated fashion.

Spencer giggled. "Emwy! You my fwiend, silly."

Emily smiled again. "Good. Glad we cleared that up. Want to meet Morgan?"

Spencer nodded and Emily turned to the door. "Morgan?"

He pushed the door open from where he'd been listening. Prentiss was born to be a mother, among her many talents. He watched as she looked at Spencer. "Spencer, this is my friend, Derek Morgan. Can you say hi?"

"Hi, Emwy's fwiend Dewek Morgan."

Morgan and Emily both grinned. "Hi, Spencer. Nice to meet you." Morgan said.

"Nice to meet you too, Morgan." Spencer said, yawning.

Emily took charge. "Ok, Spencer. Tell Morgan goodnight and then it's time to go to sleep."

"Emwy sing?" He asked hopefully. This time she did blush, but she told him she would.

"Otay, Emwy. Go'night, Morgan."

Morgan smiled at him. "Goodnight, Spencer." He turned to Emily. "I'll be right outside."

"Ok, Derek. Thanks."

"No prob."

Once Morgan was gone, Emily sat down next to Spencer's bed and took his hand in hers. "Close your eyes, sweetie."

Spencer complied and smiled when she started singing again. Just outside the room, Derek Morgan smiled too, as he heard the familiar voice singing.

000


	6. Chp 5

Chp. 5

Rather than offer an insight of his own as to what they should do about finding William Reid, Mark decided to treat this like any of the countless other briefings he'd received. Except this son of bitch was targeting kids; that tore it for Mark. Children were innocent. Society was supposed to protect them. _Like you protected James? _

"Deputy Rossi, do you have anything to add?" Hotch asked.

"uh…" Mark stalled for time as he pushed his dead brother to the back of his mind and focused on the case at hand. "Do we have any information on Diana Reid's location and their son, Spencer?"

"Spencer was found at Mr. Reid's residence by two of our agents. Our technical analyst is attempting locate Mrs. Reid now." Gideon interjected.

Mark nodded and took a sip of coffee to keep from having to say anything. As he was lowering the cup from his mouth, the speaker phone vibrated on the table and Dave answered it. "You're on speaker, Garcia."

"_Who've I got?"_ said an overly cheerful female voice, at least in Mark's opinion. He figured a job like this would sour a person quickly.

"Hotch, Gideon, Max and Deputy Marshal Mark Rossi." Rossi answered. It felt strange introducing his son that way.

A pause. _"Sorry for your loss, deputy."_

"Thank you, Miss Garcia."

"_Just Garcia, please." _She said, paused a moment, then continued. _"Mrs. Diana Reid was civilly committed by her husband, William, to a local mental institution in Las Vegas six months ago. William was granted custody of the couples' four-year-old son, Spencer. Records indicate that while Spencer is very intelligence for his age, he was developmentally delayed in some areas." _

"Such as, Garcia?" Gideon prompted when she didn't volunteer any more information.

"_Just one…"_ The agents could hear typing over the phone. _"Aww, baby boy had trouble potty training and the specialist Mr. Reid took him to referred them to another doctor who specialized in speech impediments." _

"That could be the stressor. Caring for a mentally ill spouse combined with a developmentally delayed child on top of it would drive anyone over the edge." Max said.

"Still doesn't lessen my desire to put a bullet in him." Mark countered.

Before any of the team could respond, Will came back with a grim expression on his face. Local LVPD uniformed officers had been searching for William Reid as well and the team expected LaMontage had information about him. "What's up?" Mark asked.

"Not good. A construction foreman found a body on his job site when he reported to work this morning. Description fits that of Diana Reid. Contacted her doctor and he said that William had come in a week ago and signed her out with a court order. Doesn't look like she's been seen sense," Will finished sadly.

"Hotch, Max, go with Deputy LaMontage to the scene and confirm that it is Diana. See if we can find anything on William Reid's location. Dave, you and Mark go to the hospital and strengthen the protective detail. When William finds out we have his wife's body, he may try to reacquire Spencer." With their marching orders in hand, the group broke up.

000

Spencer lay awake, scared, but calmer than he would've been if Emily hadn't been in the room with him. He wished he could've stayed awake, because when he was awake the nightmares didn't come. At least…some of the nightmares, anyway. His whole life had been a nightmare after his mother had been sent away. Spencer knew she was sick, but she was a good mom. She'd never hurt him or screamed at him, unlike his father. Spencer could feel eyes on him and turned to where Emily had stretched out in the recliner. He saw the FBI agent was watching him and she smiled when their eyes met.

"Hi, sweetie. What are you thinking about?"

"Scawed." Spencer said, not bothering to explain.

Emily looked at him with maternal concern. "You're safe, kiddo. I promise."

"I miss mama." He said in a small voice.

An idea struck Emily. "What does your mom do when you're scared?"

Emily smiled when Spencer's face brightened. "Sometimes when my fawter was gone, she wet (let) me sweep (sleep) wit her and telled me stowies to distwact me fwom bein' scawed."

"She sounds like a good mom." Emily said, being careful to stay in the present tense. "Would doing what she does help you not be so scared?" Spencer nodded in response and Emily could see tears in his eyes. Deciding to go with her gut, Emily lowered the railing on one side of bed and climbed on, being careful of the I.V. on Spencer's other side. Laying on side, Emily took Spencer's hand and put her other arm above his head. "Better, honey?"

"Tank you, emwy."

"You're welcome, Spencer."

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Emily spoke. "Would you like a story, hon?"

"Pweas?"

"Let me see…" Emily paused, then decided to go with the tried and true method. "Once upon a time…"

000

The familiar scene of red and blue flashing lights, police vehicles and an ambulance greeted the Marshal and FBI agents when they arrived at the scene where Diana Reid's body had been discovered. As their SUV stopped, Hotch turned to Will. "Has the body been positively identified as Diana Reid yet?"

Will glanced at the screen of his blackberry for any texts. "None yet, agent Hotchner."

Max, Hotch and Will got out and made their way to the police tape where the scene had been cordoned off. "John, is it her?" Will asked, not bothering to clarify.

Chief Deputy Marshal Gregory looked away. "She just identified ten minutes ago. The body is that of Diana Reid. She was shot once in the temple. Looks like a nine-millimeter or thirty-eight Special."

"I'll call Morgan." Hotch said.

"Ok, find me when you're done. I'll be with the body." Ryan said as Hotch pulled out his cellphone.

Hotch waited as the phone rang twice. _"What's up, Hotch?" _

"We found Diana Reid's body."

"_Body? Aw, man. Hotch, tell me we're somewhere close to catching this son of a bitch." _

"I'm sending Dave and Mark to help with security. William will most likely try to either get Spencer back or kill him."

"_I'll let you know when they get here. Do you want me to tell Prentiss?"_

"I hate to do it, but I think she should be the one to tell Spencer."

Morgan sighed. He hated to put Emily in this position as well, but Spencer trusted her. _"I tell her." _

"Ok, I'll keep you posted. You do the same from your end."

"_Will do." _Both men disconnected.

000

Morgan clipped his phone back on his belt and leaned against the wall. From the little he'd seen of Spencer, he liked the kid. The little boy didn't deserve all the evil that had been thrust upon him by a man who was supposed to protect him. Derek decided in that moment that between Emily, their team and himself, they would show Spencer that there was decency and goodness in the world.

_Now or never. _He quietly pushed the door open to Spencer's room and made his way in just far enough to see the bed. What Derek saw brought a smile to his face. Emily was sleeping next to Spencer in the bed, holding the child's hand. Quietly backing out of the room, the profiler thought that Spencer and Emily had both found what they were searching for and begun to build a family, even though they'd only known each other a few hours. Derek thought the little boy couldn't have latched onto a better mother figure if he'd tried.


	7. Chp 6

A/N: TISSUE WARNING!

Chp. 6

Father and son drove to the hospital in silence, Rossi behind the wheel and Mark in the front passenger seat. After ten minutes, Dave spoke. "Your mother said she talked to you the other day. Said you sounded busy."

Mark shrugged. "I was. Tim and I were on a stakeout."

"Tim was your partner, the one who was killed?" Dave asked.

Mark rolled his eyes, looking more like a petulant teenager than a trained killer. "You know all this, _Dave_. What do you really want to know?"

Rossi's eyebrows shot up. "Dave, now? Whatever happened to Dad?"

Mark sighed and looked out the window. "Does your team know about James?"

"Gideon, Max, Hotch and Morgan know."

Mark was silent for several blocks. As they turned into the hospital parking lot, he asked in a quiet voice. "Do they know about Shelby and Nicholas?"

Rossi was actually offended by this question, but he quelled it. Partially, anyway. "Mark, regardless of the fact that you've basically cut off all contact with us since you joined the Navy, I wouldn't do that to you. What Shelby did to you and Nicholas is your business." Dave said, putting the SUV in park.

Reaching to open the door, Mark turned to his father, an apology in his eyes. "She hurt you, too." Without waiting for a response, he got out and went back of the truck, opening the back cargo doors. Dave waited a minute, then joined him. Mark had opened the gun case was pulled out his Benelli semiautomatic shotgun. "Really think you're gonna need all that firepower?" Dave asked, nodding to case in the cargo area and the shotgun Mark was now wearing across his chest.

"Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it." Mark said as he closed the case and then the door. "Besides, kid probably needs rest and nothing says, 'go away' like a pissed off looking sentry with a shotgun."

"His name is Spencer." Dave said as they started into the hospital.

Mark rolled his eyes again. "Whatever." Though his heart went out to the little boy, Mark had decided on the ride over that he wouldn't attempt to get close to the kid. He had one mission, to kill William Reid and avenge his partner. For Mark, protecting Spencer was secondary. The two men rode the elevator up to the floor housing the pediatric ward and made the same inquiries at the nurses station that Morgan had a couple hours prior. Making their way to Spencer's room, the two men found Morgan dutifully standing guard outside the door. Morgan noticed them and Dave made the introductions.

"SSA Derek Morgan, Deputy Mark Rossi. Mark, Derek." The two men shook hands.

"Serious firepower you got there."

"Better to have and not need…" Mark said, not bothering to finish. "Where do you want me?"

"Hangout by the nurses' station and don't let them come down here unless absolutely necessary. Little man's been through enough tonight."

"How's Spencer?" Rossi asked, when Mark was out of earshot.

Morgan looked away. "About as well as can be expected. He latched on to Emily and I think she's pretty attached to him as well."

Dave smiled a little at this. Emily was always good when cases involved children. "Do either of them know?"

Morgan shook his head. "They were asleep when I went in after Hotch called. I haven't checked on them again."

"What don't I know?" Emily asked quietly and both men turned to see the door partially open. Judging by the looks on their faces, Emily knew it wasn't good news.

"Diana Reid's been found." Morgan said in a sad tone.

Emily quickly pieced it together, but decided to confirm it anyway. "Is she?" Morgan simply nodded. Emily turned and went back into Spencer's room. She sat down in the chair next the bed and prayed he would sleep through the rest of the night. But her prayers weren't answered as Spencer stirred and opened his eyes. Emily forced a happy expression on her face and her mouth muscle into a smile. "Hi, honey."

"Emwy? Where you go?"

"Oh, I just went outside for a minute. I wouldn't leave you, honey."

"Did you find my mama yet?" He asked. Emily swore the kid could read minds.

She didn't know how to tell him other than to just do it and comfort him as best she could. "We did find your mommy, sweetie."

Spencer brightened and it was like a knife through Emily's heart. "Is she here? Can I see her?"

Emily moved to the bed and sat down next to the little boy who'd stolen her heart. "She isn't here, Spencer. Your father…he…" she faltered as realization dawned on the small child's face.

"NO! NOO! YOU'WE WYIN', EMWY!" Spencer said, even as tears began to flow from his eyes and his body shook with sobs. Emily lay down next to him and took Spencer's tiny body in her arms. She was surprised when he didn't fight her. "Shh. I'm so sorry, baby." She whispered, stroking his hair as she felt his tears on her neck. He mumbled something into her neck and Emily reluctantly pulled away in case it was important. "What did you say, hon?"

"Can Derwek come in?"

Emily smiled sadly. "Sure, sweetie." She pulled her phone off her belt and texted her partner. A minute later, the door opened and Derek entered.

"Hey, Spencer." Morgan sat on the opposite side of the bed and took Spencer's hand when the boy reached out to him. The two agents rocked, held and otherwise comforted the broken little boy long into the night. At one point a look passed between Derek and Emily that communicated the same thought; Spencer wasn't leaving the hospital with anyone but them.

000

In the hallway, Mark and the others had heard Spencer's cries. The nurse had started to get up to see what was wrong, but Mark stopped her. "Let them handle it."

"And if his father comes here?" the women asked.

Mark just smiled grimly and tightened his grip on the shotgun. "Then I'll happily send him straight to the morgue."

000


	8. Chp 7

A/N: I just want to take a minute and thank all of you who've read, reviewed, followed, and/or favorited "The Dragon Slayer's" Also, thanks to those of you who've liked the pairing of Derek and Emily. I was going to do Emily and Hotch, but I think Morgan fits better. I'm going to include most of the other regular characters as the story progresses, but they might be in different roles from what they do on the show. I was going back through my reviews for this story and I counted no less than six reviews per chapter, a couple chapters had ten or more reviews! Thanks so much! I don't normally ask for reviews, but if y'all could help me break 100 reviews by chapter 10, I would appreciate it.

Chp. 7

William knew he couldn't go to the hospital and get Spencer. Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. He could outsmart a bunch of idiot government feds any day of the week. But they had numbers, resources and a hundred other things that he didn't. He sat up suddenly as a thought struck him like lightning. He'd seen a report on the news about Diana's body being found and knew he could use that. She'd had no family other than Spencer and himself. She would most likely have a graveside service and be buried here. Spencer would be there. William leaned back in his chair and smiled. It was perfect. He would get Spencer back for sure.

000

"I'm surprised he hasn't slipped up yet." Will said, as he and Mark rode the elevator to the pediatric ward floor of Desert Palms Hospital.

"How do you mean?" Mark asked.

"Most of our targets would've screwed up by now. I figured he would've come after Spencer before now." Will answered.

"It's only been a couple days." Mark countered. "Besides, hospital's guarded; too much surveillance. He wouldn't be able to get close enough."

Both men were silent for a moment as they considered possible options William could use to snatch his son. "The cemetery," Will said quietly. They were almost to Spencer's room and saw Gideon and Hotch standing outside it.

"You think he'll try to get him back, or kill him?" Mark asked, stopping his friend so the agents wouldn't hear.

"Both are equally likely." Will said.

"Something you want to tell us, gentlemen?" Max Ryan asked as he came up behind them.

The three men shook hands and continued down the hall to Spencer's room. "This might not be a good idea." Mark said after greeting the other two agents.

"I know what you're thinking. But do you really want to tell that to a traumatized little boy?" Gideon asked.

"Well, no, agent Gideon. I'm not saying not to give Spencer closure, just to be cautious."

"Why would you think we wouldn't be, Deputy?" Max asked.

Mark rolled his eyes. "I'll secure the elevator."

Will followed him and when they were out of earshot of the FBI agents, Will whispered. "I see the Rossi charm is alive and well."

Mark shot him a glare. _"Waj ab zibik." _

Now Will gave his partner a glare. "You know I don't speak Arabic."

"Try this. Screw you."

"No thanks. You ain't my type." Will said with a grin.

000

"Nice suit, Spencer." Morgan complemented. The boy was wearing a small black suit, dress shoes and a black clip on tie that Prentiss had bought him the day before. Spencer hadn't been too excited about Emily leaving him for any length of time, but when Derek offered to stay with him, the boy agreed. The two agents were surprised that he'd agree to stay with a man alone and Spencer told them it was because Emily trusted Derek, so he knew he could as well.

"Tanks, Morgan."

Emily came out of the bathroom dressed in a black pants suits Derek had seen her wear a thousand times, but for some reason this time was different. Watching Prentiss with Spencer, Morgan finally understood why his mama was always after him to give her grandbabies. Spencer smiled when he saw her. "You wook (look) pwetty, Emwy."

"Aww, thank you, sweetie. Did Derek take you to charm school?"

Spencer blushed, and Morgan spoke up. "Kid doesn't need any help from me. He'll be a heartbreaker when he's older."

Spencer hung his head. Both agents looked concerned at this sudden change and Emily sat down next to him. "Hey, you ok?" A head shake was Spencer's only response. A moment later, he looked up and both adults could see tears in his eyes. "I don't wanna bweak no hearts, Morgan."

Emily gently pulled Spencer into her lap and rocked him, while glaring at Morgan. The black man felt like a jerk and the glare from Prentiss wasn't helping. Her look also made it clear she expected him to fix his mistake, now. "Spencer, I didn't mean you'd hurt anyone. Heartbreak just means lots of girls like you, but you can only pick one."

"Morgan's right, baby." Emily said, but Spencer was still crying. "What is it, Spencer?"

"I…I miss my mom." The child said.

Emily tightened her hold on him and continued rocking the little boy while Morgan rubbed his back. A few minutes passed in relative silence, the only sound Spencer's tiny hiccupping sobs. The door opened and Morgan automatically reached for the Glock 17 on his belt. Seeing Hotch framed in the doorway, he moved his hand. The elder man ignored the reflexive gesture and instead said, "We're ready when you are."

Emily pulled back and Spencer looked at her. "You ready, hon?"

"Carry me?"

She smiled at this. "Sure, kiddo."

000

William watched as the three black SUVs pulled into the cemetery parked parallel to the tent that was set up next to his wife's grave. He watched as two men got first SUV. Two men, a women and Spencer got out of the middle SUV and three men exited the last the vehicle. He raised the bolt action rifle he'd purchased and placed the crosshairs of his scope on the woman's back who was carrying Spencer.

000

Mark took point as the group moved to the tent next to Diana Reid's grave. Halfway there he reacted instinctively, diving behind a tombstone as he heard a gunshot behind him. He peeked around the side quickly to see that all the agents had made it to cover but one. From his quick glance he could tell it was either Gideon or Ryan who'd been hit. He pulled his Glock from its holster and waited for the next shot. His phone vibrated and he briefly considered ignoring it until a possibility struck him. He pulled it off his belt and glanced at the screen which read, _unknown. _"Hello?"

"_I'm sorry about your friend, Tim, Deputy. His death was unfortunate." _William said. Mark didn't take the bait though.

"_What? No threats?" _

"Why don't you do the world a favor, William and shove a gun in your mouth."

"_Why, deputy, where would the fun in that be?" _

Mark snorted derisively. "Fun? You want fun, Willy? Why don't you turn yourself in and we'll have some 'fun'."

"_You mean a fine, upstanding lawman such as yourself would stoop to using torture." _

"Intense interrogation," Mark said.

"_Tomato, tomoto." _

Suddenly Mark heard a new voice over the phone. _"LVPD, FREEZE!"_

Despite the fact they'd lost an agent and a deputy, Mark had to smile. William Reid had been captured. He might not have been able to kill the bastard, but he would take what he could get. But if he'd known the roller coaster ride they were in for, Mark would've put a bullet in William Reid's head right there in the cemetery.

000


	9. Chp 8

Chp. 8

Spencer sat in the conference room of the Las Vegas field office of the U.S. Marshals Service while he waited for Emily, Derek and the rest of the team to finish the debriefing. Most of the team, at any rate. Max Ryan had died as a result of the gunshot he'd suffered in the cemetery. Spencer knew this and he felt guilty that someone had died protecting him. Actually, two people had died protecting him. He knew that was why his mother was dead. She'd tried to keep him safe from his father and she had tried to teach him things. His mother had always told him that he was smart and she'd read him lots of books. It had been wonderful! But now, he could barely remember it.

Spencer had known his father was going to send her away. Even at three years old, he'd seen the signs, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. Hot tears pricked his eyes as he remembered the night before his mother had been sent away. She'd come to him after his father had gone to bed. Diana had held him all night, telling him to remember her arms around him when he was scared, afraid or bad things happened to him. Spencer remembered that she told him that no matter what, he was brave, he was strong and she loved him. He'd started regressing a couple weeks prior to Diana being institutionalized, but it worsened once she was gone. He was surprised his father hadn't killed him, because he hated taking care of him like a baby and had told Spencer that more than once. During one of his exiles to the closet, Spencer came to the reluctant conclusion that his father only kept him around to use when his urge for sex couldn't be suppressed and a suitable 'partner' couldn't be found. Keeping other kids from being hurt was the only thing that had kept him sane.

"Spence?" He jumped at hearing his name. Turning to the voice, he saw Emily looking at him the same way his mother used to. Reaching out to her, the agent pulled the small boy into her lap, pushed her chair back and stood. It was clear to her that something had triggered a bad memory for the boy who had stolen her heart and Emily wasn't about to make him relive it in front of an audience. The team studiously ignored the scene and concentrated on their reports, except for Morgan. He discretely caught Emily's eye, concern on his face. She gave him an almost imperceptible shake of her head, signaling that she had the situation handled. Feeling Spencer's arms around her neck, Emily reached up and laid his head on her shoulder, then opened the door and carried the child out of the office.

000

Will LaMontage had been among the officers who'd arrested Mr. Reid. It was actually a beautifully executed operation, in the former Ranger's opinion, and he'd been on enough ops to know when they were fouled up beyond all repair. Between the FBI agents, U.S. Marshals and the BAU's Technical Analyst, it had almost been too easy, despite the fact that one agent had been killed. But it would make killing William Reid a million times harder than it would've been if the BAU had never been called in. _C'est la vie, _the Louisianan thought. It wouldn't be any fun if it was easy.

Reid was droning on about his rights and wanting a lawyer and a thousand other things as the two Marshals escorted him to interrogation. They were almost to the conference room the BAU was using when the door opened and the Marshal's, as well as their prisoner, saw Emily carrying a clearly distraught Spencer. Emily's eyes widen slightly when she saw the two men and, more importantly, who they were escorting. She tightened her hold on Spencer, desperate to protect him, even if William clearly couldn't do anything to him at the moment. William's eyes locked on his son and he started to speak, "Spen-." Whatever he'd intended to say was cut off when he was violently shoved into the opposite wall of the narrow hallway. Before he could protest, he felt cold metal behind both his ears and hot breath next to his right ear. "You even thing about looking at him and we'll put two bullets in you. Clear?" Will drawled, his normally calm nature strangely absent. All he had to do was think about his own son back home in Virginia. What he would do if Henry went through the same abuse that William Reid's victims had and he was sorely tempted to end the scum's life, due process be damned. Once Emily and Spencer gone, the two deputies holstered their weapons and continued escorting their prisoner to the interrogation room as if nothing had happened.

000

Emily ducked into an office that appeared to be unused as the space only had a desk, desk chair and a couch. She sat down on the couch and leaned back, still holding Spencer. They sat like that for a few minutes, until Spencer broke the silence. "Why is we hewe?"

"You seemed like you were upset about something a minute ago. I thought you might like to go somewhere and talk about it."

Instead of answering, Spencer began cataloging everything he knew about Emily Prentiss and his experiences with her. He concluded that she knew how to take care of kids, she knew how to talk to kids but not demean them, and she knew how to make them feel at ease. In short, Emily knew things a mom would know and she knew them instinctively. Spencer knew that the best way to get an answer was to ask a question. "Emily, can I ask you somethin'?"

The profiler in Emily noted that Spencer's diction had improved. The maternal side of her missed being called 'Emwy.' But she set that aside and focused on Spencer.

Gathering his courage, Spencer plunged ahead. "Do you have any kids, Emily?"

She was glad Spencer wasn't looking at her because he wasn't able to see the pained look that crossed her face. "No, sweetheart, I don't have any kids."

"Do you want any?" Spencer asked quickly.

"Very much," Emily answered, just as quickly.

"I wish…" Spencer started, then a sob choked off his next words. Before Emily could speak, he started again. "I wish you could be my mommy."

Tears pricked Emily's eyes, but she held them at bay. "Why…um…Why can't I be your mommy, honey?"

Spencer was quiet for a long time, then Emily could feel wetness on her shirt. He spoke haltingly through tears. "'Cause I-I got my mom-mommy killed…and…and…those other kids, and that other FBI guy. I'm wor..worth…" Spencer was sobbing now and couldn't finish. Emily was crying unashamed right along with him.

Largely because of the child she was holding, Emily restrained herself from marching down the hall into the interrogation room and emptying her Glock 19 into William Reid's head. The bastard had told this precious baby that he was worthless. William had told Spencer that his only purpose was to serve him and that by allowing him to do what he wanted, the boy prevented other kids from getting hurt.

Emily held Spencer for a long time and just rocked him, not saying anything because he was too distraught. When he calmed down and his sobs were quiet hiccups, Emily spoke again. "Sweetheart, I want you to listen to me. Can you do that?"

"Ye-, yes, Emily."

"Ok, good. You are not worthless. You are worth more than anything in the world to me. What happened to your mom, those other kids, you and Max; that wasn't your fault. You know whose it was?" She waited until he asked in a small voice, "Who?"

"Your father. In fact, you're really brave. Do you know why?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "You're brave because you didn't give up. But you're not alone anymore, kiddo. Do you hear me?"

"Yes." Spencer whispered in a small, sleepy voice. Emily glanced down and saw that his eyes were closed, his head pillowed on her chest. She smiled and rubbed his back. "You just rest, baby. Mommy'll be here when you wake up."

Just outside the office, Derek Morgan leaned against the wall and thought about everything he'd heard. Like Emily, it took every ounce of restraint Derek could muster not to walk down the hall and exact swift, bloody vengeance on William Reid. Instead, Derek spent his time praying that Spencer would accept him as a father.

000


	10. Chp 9

Chp. 9

"I'll escort Max's body back to Baltimore. Have his family been contacted?" Gideon asked.

"Yes. I called Michele an hour ago." Rossi said. Michele was Max Ryan's wife. _Widow._ "I'll go with you to Baltimore." He said and Gideon nodded in understanding. The three men had worked together in the BAU for close to fifteen years.

"What about Spencer?" Hotch asked.

"Unfortunately, he'll need to testify against his father in order to corroborate the forensic evidence against him. I've already made some calls and cleared him to fly back with us and remain in Emily's custody if she's willing." The three men scoffed at this. It was clear to all of them that Emily and Derek would both fight to the death to keep Spencer with them and keep him safe.

"So how hard did Erin fight you?" Gideon asked.

Dave shrugged. "I called in a few favors that were owed me by people above her pay grade, so she didn't say much. Other than cursing at me." Despite everything that had happened, Strauss's reaction brought a smile to all three agent's faces.

"And William Reid?" Gideon asked.

"He's being transferred back to Virginia and into federal custody. A JPATS CONAIR flight is leaving McCarran International tonight at midnight. Mr. Reid will be on it, with Mark and Deputy LaMontage as escorts." Rossi said.

"I guess that's it then. I'll let Deputy Gregory know we're heading out." Gideon finished, standing and going to the door.

"I'll tell Prentiss and Morgan that Spencer's coming with us." Hotch said, following Gideon out.

000

A light knock on the door made Spencer jump and look up from the picture he was drawing. Emily had taken the chair behind the desk and he was sitting her lap. She ran a hand up and down his arm in an effort to calm him. "It's ok, honey. You're safe."

Derek stood and moved to open the door. He figured it was one of the deputies and was surprised to see Hotch. "What's up man?"

"Well, I had some news and it involves Spencer, so I'd like to include him, if that's alright."

"Sure, come in." Morgan stepped and Hotch came in. Derek decided to differ to Emily to make the introductions.

The brunette gently turned Spencer so she was facing him. "Spence, this is Aaron Hotchner, but we usually call him Hotch. He works with Derek and I and he's a very good friend ours too." Emily added the part about friendship in an effort to put the boy at ease.

Hotch smiled, a rarity for him. But at the same time, the smile was natural and not forced at all. Spencer sensed that this man called Hotch was good, so he returned the smile. "Hi, Mr. Hotch."

"Hi, Spencer. That's a nice picture your drawing. Are you gonna get Emily to hang it on her refrigerator?"

Spencer let out a small sob at this and spoke quickly before any of the adults could catch on. "Ye-yes, sir. I was goin' to wet her have it so she'd 'member me."

Aaron noticed the look on Emily's face at Spencer's words, but ignored it. He'd ask her on the plane. He smiled at the boy. "Spencer, we made some phone calls and you get to stay with Emily."

Hotch and Morgan didn't miss the light in Spencer's eyes at this news. He squirmed around in Emily's lap and threw his arms around her neck. "Did you hear that Emily?! Mr. Hotch said I could stay with you!"

Spencer's genuine happiness and smile were contagious. All three adults, due to the nature of their profession, had seen more than enough death and heartache to last a hundred lifetimes. It was nice to see their efforts could produce some happiness, and not just for the victim. Derek saw genuine happiness on his friend's face and he was just as glad for his small part in causing it.

Emily smiled and hugged Spencer. "Yeah, baby, I heard."

"We'll head back to the hotel in a few minutes." Hotch said, turning to leave.

"Hotch?"

He turned back at Emily's voice. "Yes?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

000

As he sat in the back of the Ford Crown Vic and watched the sights of Las Vegas fly by William Reid decided to mess with two Marshals in the front seat, if for no other reason than to pass the time. "I bet this didn't go the way you envisioned it at all, did it, gentlemen? I'll be you'd prefer to drive me out into the desert and put a full magazines' worth of nine-millimeter bullets into my head. Am I right?"

To William's surprised, only a moment passed before LaMontage answered. "I like that idea, Willy. But personally, I think prison'll be a much better fit for a man of your persuasion. You think so, Mark?"

"Definitely." Mark agreed as they stopped at the gate to the portion of the airport that was under direct control of the FBI and U.S. Marshals service.

Mark rolled down the window, both deputies flashed their credentials and were waved through. Five minutes later, Mark stopped next to an unmarked Boeing 727 commercial jetliner. The two Marshals unloaded their prisoner and led him to another marshal dressed in dark blue fatigues. "Name?" the man asked.

"Reid, William. DOJ# 311089167." Mark said, and the other man consulted a clipboard.

"Ok, we'll take it from here." Two other Marshal's came over and lead William onto the plane. "Your I.D.'s, please?"

Mark and Will handed over their credentials. "Ok, guys, welcome to CONAIR. You can board up front." Both men boarded carrying only duffels containing clothes and toiletries. Rossi had offered to ferry their long guns on the BAU jet and the two men jumped on the idea. Less hassle that way. Flying CONAIR was difficult enough with a sidearm. Will and Mark boarded and secured their pistols without a problem, then settled in to wait for take-off. By the time the plane reached the runway and began its take-off run, the two men were dead asleep.

000

When they got married, Carolyn made Dave promise that he would call her and check in when he was on a case. Rossi checked his watch and saw it was after midnight Vegas time, which meant it was north of two am back in Virginia. But Carolyn was a night owl by nature and it was Saturday, so Dave guessed she was still up. He dialed their home number and heard his wife's voice answer on the second ring. _"Hello?" _

"Hey, _cara_. Just wanted to let you know we're on our way home."

"_How are you doing?"_

Dave could tell by her tone that Carolyn knew about the shooting in the cemetery. "_Cara_, I'm sorry I didn't call you. We didn't want anything getting out until Max's family had been notified. Mark and I are both fine. I'm flying to Baltimore with Jason and we're telling Michele personally. I should be home midday tomorrow."

"_Ok, I'll let your mother know. You shouldn't worry her, Dave." _Rossi knew better than to answer that one and he let his silence speak for him. _"How's Mark?" _

"He and Will LaMontage are escorting William Reid back to Virginia. That's actually something I wanted to talk to you about. Morgan and Prentiss found William's son Spencer. It was pretty bad. Emily has custody of him, but he'll need someone to talk to and I was wondering if you would be willing to take the case on?"

Carolyn didn't hesitate. _"Of course, David. Give Emily my office number and let her contact me."_

"Thank you, Carolyn. Listen, I have to go. See you tomorrow. I love you."

"_Love you, too. See you tomorrow." _

000

A/N1: So what do you guys think about Spencer seeing Carolyn for help dealing with the abuse? Also, I've given some thought to having Mark and Garcia hook up at some point in this story. Do y'all have any opinions on that? Thanks for reading, review, etc. You make writing worth it!

A/N2: CONAIR is the unofficial name of Justice Prisoner and Alien Transport System (JPATS), which is the system used by the federal government to transport prisoners.


	11. Chp 10

A/N: WARNING! The issue of abortion is mentioned in this chapter. I am against abortion, for the record.

Chp. 10

Penelope Garcia was wary of people entering her BAU family, especially people she hadn't personally vetted to make sure they weren't some psycho killer out to destroy the only family she had. Mark Rossi was no exception. "Your last name might be Rossi, but that doesn't mean anything." She muttered as a biography of Mark Rossi from birth to eighteen years of age appeared on one of her screens. Because she'd researched the team when she joined the BAU five years earlier, Garcia knew that the Rossi's had lost their youngest son at age six when he drowned in the family pool, but she was shocked to learn that Mark had been home at the time. Her heart went out, not to Mark Rossi the man, but Mark the ten year old boy who'd lost his baby brother. For all intents and purposes, the brother's appeared to have been close and Mark felt responsible for James' death.

From that point on, it appeared Mark had changed. He was more driven to succeed and be the best at everything. He had always worked hard, but with a focus that many of his peers lacked. In that respect, Garcia saw herself in Mark. She could relate to the feelings of guilt that he probably still felt to this day. She saw that after high school he'd been accepted to Georgetown University and even had a girlfriend while in college. But the relationship had ended just three weeks before Mark and his girlfriend, whose name was Shelby Anderson, were to graduate. _Odd, but not unheard of. _One week after graduating, Mark enlisted in the Navy and went to BUD/S directly after finishing bootcamp. Because of his exceptional performance in BUD/S and SQT, and his fluency in Arabic, Mark was recruited by Seal Team Six, the Seals counterterrorism unit. It seemed to Garcia that Mark Rossi took on and surpassed every challenge thrown at him, a trait she admired and again, could relate to. Deciding that her family was safe with this man in their midst, Garcia thought about moving on to something else. But she couldn't leave Mark just yet. The break up just before his college graduation bothered the analyst. Why suddenly break up with someone you dated for four years? _People break up all the time, Pen, you know that. Let it go. _

But she ignored the little voice in her head. "Just one…" She stopped when she saw the medical records for Shelby Anderson listing, among other things, an abortion. "Oh…" Garcia's hand went to her mouth as she read. Everything fit. Joining the Navy, going straight to Seal training and spending his entire naval career with the Seals. "No wonder you wanted to hurt someone. First your brother, then your kid."

Garcia deleted as much of the search she could, then opened an online RPG, hoping to loose herself and forget what she'd learned about Mark Rossi.

000

Will was exhausted. As the garage door closed behind his truck, he leaned back in the seat and didn't move. By the time the JPATS Boeing 727 landed at Dulles International Airport and he and Mark left the airport, it was 0530. He glanced at the clock on his dashboard and saw it was just after 0700. That brought a smile to his tired face. JJ was probably feeding Henry. Will hurriedly opened the door and got out of the truck. He grabbed his duffel bag from the backseat and silent made his way inside. Though Will loved his job and would never abandon the other members of the Dragon Slayer program, he wondered what parts of his son's life he was missing out on. At four and a half months old, Henry was the apple of both his parent's eye. So far, he'd been a very easy baby, much to JJ and Will's relief. Doing the type of work they did, a difficult baby would've just made things that much harder. But Henry could've been the most difficult baby ever seen and it wouldn't have lessened JJ and Will's love for him. As he put his go bag and sidearm in the master bedroom, Will thought about how blessed he was to have everything he did. He knew that even thirteen years later, Mark still grieved for the child he'd lost. Going to the nursery, Will fully expected to get a face full of Glock for his trouble, because he usually called JJ before coming home if he knew he'd get there extremely early or late. As he eased the door open, he smiled at the scene that greeted him. Henry was sprawled on JJ's lap in that post nursing slumber, his mouth partially open. Will saw JJ was giving him 'the look' for not calling and he mouthed 'sorry, _Cher_.' The Look dissolved into a smile and JJ started to stand to put Henry to bed, but Will waved her back down. He moved across the room and knelt in front of his wife and son. JJ gently transferred Henry into Will's arms. Even so, the baby stirred and whimpered slightly at being moved.

"Shh, it's ok, buddy. It's daddy." Hearing his father's voice, Henry quieted and leaned into Will's chest. Will smiled and JJ couldn't suppress a soft "aww." She watched as her husband carefully stood and carried Henry to his crib. They both stood and watched their son sleep for a few minutes before going to the hallway. Once they were outside, they hugged and kissed each other long and deep, barely able to contain themselves after being apart for three months. JJ knew Will felt guilty for leaving her with Henry, but she didn't blame him. He'd had a job to do. The only reason she wasn't in the field was because Hotch had pulled strings to allow her to stay home, with pay, until Will returned from his assignment.

"I missed you." JJ said, laying her head on Will's chest and just enjoying the fact that he was safe.

"I missed y'all too, cher. More than you know." Will knew he needed to tell her about Max and decided to get it over with. "Let's go sit in the living room for a minute."

JJ had studiously avoided both television and print news since the team had gone to Vegas. She noted the change in her husband's tone and feared the worst. By the time they reached the living room, only a few steps away, Will felt wetness on his shirt. He slowly sat down on the couch and held his wife. After a minute, she asked, "Who was it?"

"Max Ryan." Will said, and felt the pain in his own heart when JJ let out a soft whimper. His arms instinctively tightened around her. JJ might be a trained federal agent, but she was still his wife. Will LaMontage would protect her and their son to his dying breath if necessary, and do so gladly.

They stayed quiet for a long time. Will waited for JJ to break the silence, knowing whatever she needed to say was more important. "Is everyone else alright?"

"Yes, cher. But we found William Reid's son. Emily has custody of him."

"Did William…" JJ knew some information about the case because Will had talked to her over the three months he, Mark and Tim were in Vegas. She didn't know about the Dragon Slayers, but she did know that Will and his team were sent to 'arrest' William Reid.

After a long time, Will finished her thought. "Yes, he apparently used Spencer when his urges were too great, but he couldn't find a new victim. Derek and Emily found Spencer locked in his closet wearing nothing but a diaper." Will said, rage in his tone. JJ let out a small sob.

"You…you said Emily has custody of Spencer? How old is he?"

"He's around four or five. But he acts like a toddler. From what I've heard, he's pretty smart, but he regresses because he feels safe acting that way."

"You should've been a profiler."

Will smiled. "Nope. I prefer being married to one."

"Well, you know there's this thing about marriage. You have to show your partner you care every once in a while and well…I've missed you." JJ knew it sounded weak, but after three months of not using pickup lines, she was a little rusty.

"Lead the way, Honey."

JJ wordlessly climbed off her husband and the two went to their bedroom.

000

The cab dropped Mark in front of his home, a single-story two bedroom ranch style house built in the 1950's. It was old, but he kept it neat and up to date. Moving through the house, he found everything as he'd left it three months before. Because he lived alone, Mark used the guest bedroom as his bedroom and the master bedroom as his home office. Dropping his duffel in the bedroom, he went to his office and stopped in front of the wet bar that took up most of one wall. He knew he should sleep, then go grocery shopping as there was no food in the house after his three month hiatus. But he didn't want to do either of those things. Instead, he picked up a glass, wiped the dust off and his hand hovered over the bottles. He had several choices and finally grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniel's, filling the glass half way. Then he went to the desk and sat. Mark stared at the glass of whiskey for a long time, memories flooding him, before he picked it up and drank. The memories faded as the alcohol hit his blood stream and he took another smaller drink.

Mark tried very hard to forget Shelby Anderson. He sometimes wondered how he could've ever become involved with such a selfish bitch. They say love is blind and Mark Rossi wholeheartedly agreed with whoever 'they' were. The fact that he hadn't seen Shelby for who she was before it was too late pained him to no end. He knew he should forgive himself, because his little boy was in heaven. Mark took some comfort in that. But all the things he'd lost caused him such pain that he sometimes considered shoving a pistol in his mouth and blowing his brains out. But he couldn't do that to his parents and his nonna. They had suffered too much when he'd failed to save James and then when he'd told them about Nicholas. Even though he'd never known if the child was a boy or girl, he'd taken that leap of faith and named his son Nicholas.

He allowed his mind go back to that awful day thirteen years earlier. He'd been sitting on a bench with Shelby and the conversation had turned to children. Mark knew Shelby didn't want them, but he thought maybe he could convince her to change her mind.

"_Come on Shel, at least consider it. I don't want kids right now, but we could have them at some point. Wouldn't you like a daughter to teach the girl stuff to? I could scare her first dates, that'd be fun." He laughed, but then became concerned when Shelby's scowl deepened. He was worried she was going to tell him she was unable to get pregnant and not wanting kids was a ruse. _

"_Mark, I had an abortion three weeks ago." _

_They sat for a few minutes, neither saying anything. Mark finally found his voice, and the anger he felt made his tone recognizable. "Shelby, I suggest you leave now, before I do something I can't take back."_

_And she did. Mark never saw her again. He saw a report on the news three weeks later that she'd been killed in a head on collision with a drunk driver. He remembered thinking the world was better off without her in it and that he'd would done anything to meet the baby Shelby had carried. _

000


	12. Chp 11

A/N: Thanks all the reviews, favorites, alerts, etc. The last half of this chapter kind got away from me and Mark took over. OCs need love too! But I will balance it out more in the future.

Chp. 11

_"Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it." Michel de Montaigne_

As he sat on one of the two double beds in his hotel room, Derek Morgan made a mental note to thank Garcia and Gideon for their help as soon as he, Hotch, Emily and Spencer got back to D.C. Garcia had obtained rooms for Hotch, Morgan, Emily and Spencer even before they left the Marshals office after Gideon and Rossi flew to Baltimore. Gideon had pulled some strings and retained the BAU's jet for their trip home. Derek's only complaint was that he was bunking with Hotch rather than Emily and Spencer.

"Morgan?"

Derek turned, surprise on his face because Hotch looked like he'd said his name a few times and been ignored. "Huh? Sorry, Hotch did you say something? Went inside my head for a minute."

"It was longer than a minute. I've been trying to get your attention for the last five." Hotch said with a smirk.

"Yeah, well…" Derek started, then trailed off.

"Just be careful." Hotch said, serious again.

Derek feigned confusion. "How do you mean?"

"Spencer's been hurt enough. If things don't work out with Prentiss, he could be collateral damage."

Hotch saw a look in Morgan's eyes that told the former prosecutor he might have gone too far. "For the record the thing that brought us together _was _Spencer. But I know what you mean. Contrary to my usual style, I'm taking this one slow. I want things to work out between Emily and me." Morgan finished, then quickly added, "But you didn't hear that."

"Hate to break it to you, but everyone knows."

Morgan blanched. "Seriously?"

"Yep."

Morgan flopped back on the bed and covered his face with his hands, muttering, "Crap."

Hotch just smiled and went back his report.

000

Spencer was scared. Scared that Emily would leave him in the hotel room and go to Morgan. He knew she hadn't given him any reason to feel this way, but that was what his father always did. "Spencer?"

Again that sweet voice brought him back. He turned and looked her, feeling tears in his eyes, but he made no effort to stop them. Emily had just been letting him play was the bath toys she and Morgan had bought him that afternoon. She picked him up and wrapped a towel around him. She went out and sat on the bed, rocking him. He was crying openly now and Emily guessed his anxiety was due to the change in environment. She ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the other down his back. "Shh, you're safe sweetheart. I won't leave you."

"Pwomise?"

Emily smiled. Her theory had just been proved right. Spencer regressed whenever he felt scared or anxious. She wrapped her arms around him and he laid his head on her chest. "I promise, baby."

"Where Morgan?"

"He's here. He's with Hotch." Emily said and smiled again at Spencer's relieved sigh. "How 'bout we finish getting you ready for bed? It's late, you're tired and so am I and we have an early flight." Emily smirked over Spencer's head at how much she sounded like a mom just then. _Maybe this won't be so hard after all. Even if it is, it'll still be worth it._

000

A buzzing sound and a vibration on his left hip woke Mark. His eyes snapped open and he saw midmorning sunlight coming through the window. Rubbing his face in an effort to wake himself, he reached for the phone. Because of his work, he didn't program speed dials into his phone in case it fell into the wrong hands. But he recognized the number on the screen and smiled. He answered with a brisk, "Hi, nonna."

"_Why it take you so long to answer your nonna, Marco?" _

Isabella Rossi was the only one who called him Marco. "I was asleep, Nonna. I got in late last night."

"_Were you with a girl?" Isabella asked brightly. _

Mark scowled, even though she couldn't see his face. He hated having this conversation. "No, ma'am, I was working."

"_Oh, well, are you coming for dinner tonight?" _

Mark thought about it for a second, then decided he didn't have it in him to disappoint his grandmother. "Yes, ma'am, I'll be there. Want me to bring anything?"

"_Just yourself. 7:00, ok?" _

"Ok, nonna. Bye, love you."

"_Ciao, ti amo, Marco."_

Mark disconnected the call and looked down at the glass on his desk. Finding it empty, he briefly thought about another drink. Deciding that one was enough, he went to his bedroom, changed into sweats and tennis shoes, then went back his office.

Though Mark generally kept everything in the house the same as it had been when he'd purchased the place two years earlier, he did make some minor changes. One was to convert the closet in the master bedroom into a gunsafe. It was large enough to accommodate Mark's entire arsenal and then some. He punched in the code to unlock the safe, then placed his thumb on a thumb print scanner and leaned in to allow a retinal scanner to scan his right eye. He'd always thought it was overkill but, at the same time, better safe than sorry. He heard the satisfying _click _of the locking bolts retracting, then grabbed the handle and yanked it counter clockwise. Pulling the door open, he stepped inside the small room. One wall held several bolt action and semiautomatic sniper rifles, another various submachine guns and carbines, another wall held shotguns and the last pistols. Shelves held various web gear, vests and body armor, magazines and ammunition. Also on the shelves were grenades, both lethal explosives and non-lethal distraction devices.

Going to the wall of pistols, he picked up a Glock 30, a subcompact .45 caliber pistol that he often carried while running outdoors. Grabbing a fanny pack off another shelf, he put the pistol inside, put the pack on and walked out of the safe. Before leaving the house, he grabbed his ipod, credentials and keys. While running, he thought about how he was going to kill William Reid. It didn't matter that Reid was in police custody. That would make getting to him harder, but not impossible. With enough time, planning and skill nothing was impossible.

000

After his run, Mark showered and ate a B.L.T. with a Heineken while watching the news. Then he dressed in jeans, a white long sleeve dress shirt, brown cowboy boots and charcoal grey blazer. He'd even changed his sidearm of choice, switching to a Glock 21 pistol chamber in .45ACP, deciding he wanted a little more punch than the 9mm round his Glock 17 was chambered for. It was still early to be dressing for dinner, just after 1pm. But Mark had some business to take care of at the office, including a debriefing scheduled at 3pm.

One of the advantages to being single, Mark had found, was that as long as you were willing to save up for some things, you could pretty much do what you wanted to with your money. One of Mark's passions, other than guns, was trucks, cars and motorcycles. He currently owned a 2012 Harley Davidson Iron 883 motorcycle, a 1994 Ford Bronco and his most prized possession, a fully restored 1967 GT500 Shelby Mustang. He decided to take the mustang, as he'd missed it the most during his time in Vegas. As he slipped behind the wheel and fired up the engine, Mark involuntarily smiled. There was just something about old fashioned American muscle that always brought a smile to his face.

000


	13. Chp 12

Chp. 12

Emily woke up slowly, her eyes still closed. A smile crept to her face as she registered the weight in her arms. Spencer was here, with her. It hadn't been a dream. A part of her knew that there were hard, difficult days ahead. Every day wouldn't be like this. But she wouldn't focus on that now. Opening her eyes, Emily looked down at the small head pillowed on her chest. Normally, she would've gotten out of bed and started her day. But she knew Spencer needed all the sleep he could get, so she waited. Spencer must have sensed her watching him because he stirred and looked up at her. Emily smiled. "Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?"

Spencer returned the smile. "Uh huh. Did you?"

Emily smiled. "I did. Now, how about we get you a bath and get you dressed?"

"Then can we get breakfast?"

Emily leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Of course, sweetie. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't take care of you, would I?"

Spencer wanted to correct Emily for using the word 'friend' in place of 'mommy.' He'd heard Emily call herself Mommy when she thought he was asleep while they were in the office the day before. As far as he was concerned, she was his mommy now. Emily was just the type of mother his real mom would have wanted him to have. He wanted if Derek would be a good dad; not like William Reid. Spencer hoped so because he liked him. But, like Emily, he knew if he called her that too soon, Spencer's dream of having a family would be shattered and he couldn't let that happen.

000

Morgan woke up early and quietly dressed in a blue t-shirt with FBI emblazoned in white block letters on the front, gym shorts and tennis shoes before heading to the hotel's fitness center to get in a quick workout before the flight back Quantico. As his body worked, Derek let his mind wonder back over the case in general and Spencer Reid specifically. He knew Emily was attached to the little boy and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't as well, but…

_But what if it doesn't work out like you want it to. What then?_

Derek resolved that he would do whatever it took to help Emily get permanent custody of Spencer. But another question hovered at the back of his mind. _Can I make it work? _Derek knew that he wanted to help Spencer in the same way Emily did. He wanted to show the boy that not all men were like William Reid. But doing that would take work and, while Derek was willing to put in that work, he wasn't sure where he stood with Emily. That was just as important to him as reaching Spencer was. He'd been attracted to Emily, at least physically, from day one. But as he got to know her, the attraction went deeper than just the physical. But now Spencer was added to the mix and, while the thought of a family with Spencer and Emily brought a smile to Derek's face, he knew that slow and steady would be the only way to win that race.

000

After getting him bathed and dressed, Emily carried Spencer to the elevator and pressed the down arrow. "So, what do you want to eat, Spence?"

"What'd they have?"

"mm…I think I saw a waffle maker down there when we checked in the other day. Does that sound good?"

Spencer smiled. "I love waffles!"

Emily smiled at Spencer's happy look. She resolved to keep that expression on the little boy's face if she could. "Ok, let's get some waffles."

000

After finishing his workout, Derek decided to grab some breakfast before they headed to the airport. He found his and Hotch's room empty and figured Hotch had the same idea. Showering and dressing quickly, he went to Emily's room to see if she and Spencer wanted join him. He knocked on the door, but got no response. Knocking again he announced himself, "Emily, its Derek. You and Spence wanna grab some breakfast?" No response.

A cold dread suddenly seized Derek. He knew it was paranoia; that he should just go downstairs and wait, but he had to be sure. He pulled out a credit card and jimmied the door open. What he saw started a twinge at the base of his spine. The room was empty. Derek ran from the room, slamming the stairwell door open with his shoulder. Inside the stairwell, he pulled his Glock from the holster on his belt and practically sprinted down the stairs. He didn't know how much time had. As he reached the lobby door, he slowed. Holding his pistol behind his back, Morgan opened the door and moved into the lobby, scanning the room.

"Derek!" A voice behind him. _Spencer's voice. _

He kept the gun behind his back and turned around. He quickly appraised the scene in front of him and saw Emily, Hotch and Spencer sitting at a table in the area used for complementary breakfasts. He suddenly felt very foolish, but he'd never second guessed his gut and wasn't about to start now. Quickly holstering his sidearm, Derek smiled at Spencer in an effort to hide the fear he'd felt only moments ago and walked over the group.

000

"You were in Vegas for three months! Surely they can give you a couple of days."

Will had debated just sneaking off to the office and not telling JJ about the debriefing, but he knew that would only make things worse. "It was hardly a vacation, JJ. Besides, I'll only be a couple hours." Will said, smiling in an effort to placate his wife's anger. "Then I'm yours again, cher."

JJ's face softened. She knew she was being unreasonable, at least partially. But she wanted Will here, with her and Henry. "Ok, just be careful."

Will got up and gently hugged her. "I'm always careful, cher."

They heard the distinctive rumble of Mark's '67 Mustang stop in front of the house. "That's my cue."

"I'll walk you out."

They hugged and kissed again on the front stoop and Will walked to the car. Mark waved from the driver's seat and JJ walked back into the house without acknowledging the gesture.

"So when are you going to tell her what we really do?" Mark asked as he pulled away from the curb.

"What do you care when I tell her?" Will asked, in an angry tone.

Mark knew his partner didn't like being separated from his family, and he should let the issue drop for the time being. "It makes our job harder, having to keep the secret."

"What did Karen want?"

"She probably wants to try and figure out how to take out the target."

"We're still on?" Will asked, surprised. He'd thought William Reid would be tried and convicted.

"Of course we're still on. You think I could let this go? I want William Reid's head on a spit." Mark answered in a tone that said Will should've known better.

They drove in silence for a few blocks, each man alone with his thoughts.

"You know this violates rule number 1, right? How are we supposed to be effective if we do that?"

_Dragon Slayer rule #1 – DO NOT LET A CASE GET PERSONAL, EVER!, flashed through Mark's mind._

As he pulled up to the guard post at the U.S. Marshals headquarters in D.C., Mark turned to Will. "And if it were Henry, Will? Would you say the same thing?"

Both men silently handed the gate guard their credentials, and when they were returned, Mark pulled away and searched for a parking space. It was then that Will answered his question, even though both men already knew the answer. "If he'd touched Henry, that son of a bitch would already be dead."

000


End file.
